An exhibition of landscapes by an artist who donated a kidney to his wife has gone on display.

An exhibition of landscapes by an artist who donated a kidney to his wife has gone on display.

Alan Reed, 44, has opened his Summer Exhibition at his studio in Northumberland.

Visitors can take in the delights of North East landmarks captured in the summer sun as well as beautiful Italian landscapes and buildings.

It was his wife Susan who inspired his work as she introduced him to Italy.

Alan and Susan both live in Ponteland but enjoy trips to Italy where Alan has demonstrated his skills with a paintbrush while Susan translates to the watching audience.

The devoted couple hit the headlines when Alan donated his kidney to Susan after she was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and treated at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital four years ago.

Now, in another act of kindness, Alan is planning to donate one of his paintings to the hospital. Some of the work on show records Alan's travels around Northumberland, capturing prominent landmarks such as Hadrian's Wall, the Angel of the North and the Newcastle Quayside, as sunlight and sometimes cloud fill the sky.

He also travelled to Italy in May and painted watercolours of scenes in Umbria, Abruzzo and Veneto.

Alan said: "If I see something that I think will make a good painting I set up straight away and paint the basics in my sketch book, which goes everywhere with me."

Alan said he feels more relaxed when painting locally as if the weather is not right for that particular day he can always pop back the next day.

"In Italy I'm there for a certain time which means there is a limit on how long I can take on something. When I was painting the hillside in Abruzzo, I had to call it off for the day because of clouds. But the next day they lifted to show a beautiful carpet of purple crocuses."

NVisit the Alan Reed Studio and Gallery on Main Street, Ponteland, between 9.30am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.